Think of the Minnesota Twins, and you'll think of the players introduced Sunday night at the Metrodome, players like Gene Larkin, Denny Hocking, Jacque Jones, Corey Koskie and Boof Bonser. They're past and present players who together made nearly three decades of Metrodome memories.
Sunday, 51,000 Twins fans saw the magic here one more time, first watching as the team won what would have been their last dome game, then seeing its best players and biggest moments honored in a postgame ceremony.
"We could always count on this place when we came home, because of you fans and this stupid roof over our head!" said former Twins player Kent Hrbek in a speech on the field. "We had a lot of fun here. You saw some great players here. Every one of these guys standing right here."
Named to the All Metrodome team were 17 former players and former manager Tom Kelly, many of them here to join current Twins for their last time on the field they know so well.
And Kirby Puckett filled the Metrodome with cheers for one last time. Puckett's son, Kirby Jr., removed the last number from the Target Field countdown, which all season has marked the Twins remaining days in the dome. Players from the team's days at Metropolitan Stadium say they're thrilled about returning to outdoor baseball.
"We just want to thank you for your great support," said Harmon Killebrew, who spoke to fans from Target Field with fellow former players Tony Oliva and Rod Care. "We appreciate all you've done over the years to help us get through these great seasons."
But one season isn't yet finished. So while the Twins tonight recalled their greatest moments here, they hope Tuesday's tiebreaker game will mean the memories and the magic aren't over either.
(Copyright 2009 by KARE. All Rights Reserved.)
